Absorbent tampon



H. GANZ ABSORBENT TAMPON Dec. 9, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed my 24, 1940 HENRY G'A NZ..

' ATTORNEY H. GANZ ABSORBENT TAMPON Dec. 9, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 24, 1940 INVENTOR HENRY G'A N2.

Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Personal Products Corporation,

New

Brunswick, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 347,087

(Cl. 12S-285) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to absorbent tampons and their manufacture, and more particularly to tampons of this character which are especially adapted for use as vaginal tampons.

It is becoming more and more the custom to use vaginal tampons for feminine hygiene, although the manufacture of such tampons involves several problems.

A tampon for feminine hygiene must be capable of great absorption Without permitting seepage or leakage and consequent soiling of the clothing. Absorption and sealing necessarily imply expansion of the tampon and yet undue pressure cannot be exerted upon the vaginal walls or adjacent parts of the body nor can expansion be great enough to cause discomfort to the user. On the other hand, there must be suiiicient and immediate expansion of the tampon upon becoming wetted to cause sealing of the vaginal cavity. Ready vinsertion of the tampon requires a certain degree of stiness or rigidity Whereas comfort in use'requires softness and iiexibility. These two dissimilar and opposed characteristics add to the diiiiculties in producing a satisfactory vaginal tampon. The present tampons used for this purpose are particularly unsatisfactory in the foregoing respects, because of their ineiectiveness due to low absorption, seepage or leakage, difficulty of insertion, and discomfort in use.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a tampon and method of manufacture which overcomes the foregoing and other diiiiculties and which results in an improved tampon especially suited for use as a vaginal tampon.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when read in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the cord tying apparatus illustrating a web of cotton in position thereon prior to drawing a cord therearound.

Figure 2 is a perspective illustrating a web of cotton formed to size and with the withdrawal cord attached, placed in the guiding portion of the die preparatory to the preforming operation.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the forming die illustrating the web in position prior to being preformed.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the center of the forming die illustrating the Web tucked into the die in the iirst or preforming stage.

Figure 5 is a similar vertical section through the forming die illustrating the second or final forming or compression stage.

Figure 6 is a similar vertical section through the die and illustrating discharge of the completed tampon.

Figure 7 is a vertical section through the center of a tampon container and applicator illustrating a tampon therein.

' In accordance with this invention, a web of cotton I is rst formed of a size considerably larger than the finished tampon, that is, a webl is formed approximately two inches wide by six inches long and three quarters of an inch thick, the size depending of course first upon the weight of cotton desired to be incorporated in the tam- A pon and second upon the finished size of the tampon. This web may be formed from a single thickness of cotton or a folded web or a plied vweb with any suitable number of plies.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention (Fig. 1) the next step is the attachment of the withdrawal cord 2 to the formed web of cotton, although it will be obvious that this cord vthe string or cord 2 from the string holder 4 under a guide and friction clamp 'I, past a cuttingoi knife 9, across the block 5, -around a suction tube I3, projecting through the block 5 adjacent one edge thereof, and back to a point adjacent the knife. In so doing a loop of cord is formed vand the proper length of cord is measured with the two ends approximately equal. After the cord has been looped and measured in this manner, the operator actuates the cutting knife 9 Vby foot tread I5 or any other suitable device to sever the measured length of cord.

The operator then places the cotton web I upon the block 5 over the cord and grasps both ends of the cord, passes them over the web, and in- -as it passes around the tube.

cord are drawn down through the tube by sucserts them into the suction tube, thus passing the ends through the loop formed by the cord The ends of the mtion, thus forming a loose slip knot. The operator then lifts the cotton web from the table .with one hand, thus disengaging the looped end of the cord from the suction tube and grasps the ends of the cord with the other hand and draws 3 the knot tight about the cotton web. It will be observed that when the cord is out, a loose end remains between the guide or clamp and the cutting blade 9, which end may be grasped by the operator to withdraw and measure the succeeding length of cord.

The web of cotton with the withdrawal cord about its center, which cord materially reduces the width of the web where it is fastened, is then placed over a die 2| with the cord 2 depending thereinto for the first or preforming stage in the formation of the tampon.

Die 2| is a tubular die, having a bore 23 of the exact diameter of the finished tampon and being tapered outwardly at its upper end asv at 25 to facilitate entry of the cotton web into the bore. For further guiding and positioning the web, the upper end of the die is provided with enlarged collar 21, formed with a groove 29 across its up`- per face of somewhat less width than the width of the cotton web, whereby the cotton web from which the tampon is formed is held in position in said slot in preparation for the first or preforming stage in the formation of the tampon.

Following positioning of the web I over the die 2|, a preforming plunger 3| of considerably smaller diameter than the bore 23 of the die is forced into the die to fold and tuck the cotton into the die, and preform the web into a U- shaped formation and only slightly compressing the cotton as shown in Fig. 4. In so doing, the two legs of the now U-shaped cotton web are formed generally into two complementary half sections of a hollow cylinder. Following this preforming of the tampon, plunger 3| is withdrawn preparatory to the nal compression.

The web is given its final compression and formationv by a second top plunger 33 (Fig. 5) of the same diameter as the bore of the die and preferably having a stem or pilot 35 of much smaller diameter than the plunger 33. The pilot end 35 is resiliently or yieldingly mounted within a counterbore in the plunger 33 and is spring urged outwardly by a spring 3l so as to be partially retractable after a certain pressure against the pilot end is reached.

Cooperating with the plunger 33 is a lower pistn, or plunger 4| (Fig. 5) of approximately the diameter of the bore of the die 2|. which lower plunger is inserted into the bottom of the die 2| prior to descent of plunger 33. In its preferred form the upper end of plunger 4| is rounded so as to impart a rounded lower end to the finished tampon. Likewise the lower end of the larger portion of the nal compression plunger 33 is concaved so as to impart a rounded upper end to the tampon which facilitates insertion thereof.

After the lower plunger 4| has been inserted in position by any suitable means, the compressing plunger 33 is lowered by any suitable means to give the final compression and form to the tampon. As plunger 33 descends, the smaller or pilot end 35 thereof enters the opening formed by the first plunger 3| and serves two functions. First the pilot end 35 limits and controls the gathering or creasing of the cotton as the plunger descends and compresses the web, and insures the formation of only relatively small irregular tucks or creases in the walls of the tampon, as the two half sections of the hollow cylinder are compressed, rather than the formation of regular and deep convolutions or pleats. These small tucks not only cause an even, rapid, and substantially simultaneous expansion of the tampon when. it is wetted, but prevent the formation of any deep regular folds or pleats which if formed might tend to permit leakage or seepage of moisture along the walls of the tampon when in use. Second the pilot end insures a permanent opening or orifice 43 in the forward or insertion end of the finished tampon, which opening provides additional surface exposed to fluids when the tampon is in use. 'I'his also insures an immediate expansion of the tampon as soon as it becomes wetted, which immediate expansion prevents leakage or seepage of iluids past the tampon.

After the tampon has been given its final form, that is, after plunger 33 has been lowered, both plungers 33 and 4| are removed and the completed tampon 45 is ejected from the die by a third plunger 4l (Fig. 6) having a diameter approximately that of the bore of the die, this final form of a diameter approximately that of the bore of the die is retained by the tampon, due to its compressed nature until the tampon becomes moistened.

The finished tampon thus formed has sufcient stiffness and rigidity longitudinally, or in axial direction, having been compressed mainly in this direction, that is, to a much greater degree than in radial direction, to be readily insertable into a body cavity such as the vagina without the use of any applicator if so desired. On the other hand, being compressed relatively little in radial direction, such compression being produced only by forces resulting from longitudinal compression, it is sufficiently flexible and soft so as not to cause any discomfort to the user and to permit of rapid and immediate absorption and expansion upon becoming wet. The tampon will expand in all directions but mainly in the direction of its length due to the fact that the greatest compression was in this direction.

If desired, the finished tampon 45 may be placed in an applicator or container comprising a tube 5| of proper diameter to snugly receive the tampon and an ejecting plunger 53 for discharging the tampon from the container-applicator.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that for purposes of this application there has been disclosed only the essential elements for manufacturing the tampon in accordance with this invention. No attempt has been made to describe any operating mechanisms, such as means for operating the plungers in proper order and sequence, or for conveying the cotton` web before and after attaching the cord to the various stations in an automatic apparatus for forming the tampon because these features broadly are well within the scope of ability of a skilled mechanic.

It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that minor changes may be made in details of construction and the sequence of operations without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. For example, it is obvious that the withdrawal cord may be applied to the tampon'before its formation, as shown in the drawings, or it may be forced through the tampon during any stage subsequent to formation of the tampon from the web of cotton.

It will also be obvious that any absorbent. fibrous material may be. used in place of cotton, although the latter has certain advantages in that it does not have a tendency to mat upon wetting, as do certain other fibrous materials, and it does not havethe tendency to slough as do'certa-in other-fibrous materials. Furthermore.

it does have the characteristic of swelling upon becoming wetted, which characteristic is not present in certain other brous materials.

I claim:

1. A catamenial tampon comprising a cylinder or" highly compressed absorbent fibrous material said compressed cylinder being self-retaining in size and shape and being compressed to a greater degree in its axial direction than in its radial direction whereby said tampon is soft and exible, said cylinder having an opening extending from its forward or insertion end to the interior thereof to facilitate absorption by and expansion of the tampon, and a withdrawal cord secured to the other end of said cylinder.

2. A catamenial tampon comprising a cylinder of highly compressed absorbent fibrous material, said compressed cylinder being self-retaining in size and shape and being compressed greatly in its axial direction and relatively little in its radial direction whereby said tampon is soft and ilexible, and a Withdrawal cord secured to the other end of said tampon.

3. A catamenial tampon comprising a web of absorbent brous material folded upon itself intermediate its length and highly compressed into a self-retaining hollow cylinder, said hollow cylinder being compressed to a greater degree in its 6 axial direction than in its radial direction, and a withdrawal cord secured to the folded end of said tampon.

HENRY GANZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 65,903 Grant June 18, 1867 706,778 Pond Aug. 12, 1902 812,768 Pond Feb. 13, 1906 1,074,245 Casevitz Sept. 30, 1913 1,926,900 Haas Sept. 12, 1933 1,964,911 Haas July 3, 1934 2,076,389 Voss Apr. 6, 1937 2,092,427 Ross Sept. 7, 1937 2,134,930 Reynolds Nov. 1, 1938 2,152,230 Webb Mar. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 384,249 France Jan. 30, 1908 654,687 France Dec. 7, 1928 508,610 Great Britain July 4, 1939 

